Chapter 7
Harley paced up and down the waiting room of the Avengers tower. Since the compound was destroyed they had Strange open a portal to the tower. Lila and Cassie were with him in the small waiting room while he paced the length of the room located on the medbay floor.
The other Avengers were being fixed up, reuniting with their loved ones, and settling in a bit. Of course, none of them forgot about Peter. It was just a lot all at once. It had only been an hour and a half since Peter had gone into surgery. Shuri and Dr. Cho were in there along with others trying to fix him as best they could.
Tony and Pepper were the first to come along but Harley ignored them even when Pepper stopped him for a hug. He had just froze up, she understood though just sitting down with the girls asking them if they were okay.
Vision came along with Wanda trailing behind him. He stood staring at Harley for a moment to which he just looked up at him. A cool hand was placed on his shoulder before the AI moved to a seat with Wanda. Lila gave Vision a half hug from where she leaned across Cassie.
Ned, MJ, and May ran into the room not long after. Harley choked out a sob covering his eyes with his hands as they got closer. He pulled his hands away and they looked just as sad as he was.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. You just got back and I couldn't even keep him safe for you to see him." Harley said not even sure May would know who he was but she just smiled putting a hand on his cheek.
"My boy is so strong. From everything I hear, you did not cause this." May said pulling the boy into a hug to which Harley wrapped his arms around her as well. "He'll be okay. And soon I'll have two nephews." She whispered and he pulled away giving a small laugh mixed with a sob.
She was the one who finally got him to sit down and MJ shoved some water into his chest demanding he drink it. He knew not to cross her. Lila thanked her silently with a nod.
They all sat there in silence for many minutes. They just comforted each other and slowly people joined them filling the waiting room. The Barton's came in along with Natasha. Lila hugged her family still not believing they were all back. That everyone was finally back. Five years later. She was older than her older brother now. Her little brother was now almost her age when the blip happened. Nebula came in telling the boy, in her own not very comforting, way that Peter was strong and would be okay. It was strangely comforting.
Then Thor and Loki entered the room. Harley was up before any of those who had been blipped could question. He was in Loki's arms sobbing and the God hushed him rubbing his back and running a hand through his hair. When Harley began to calm he apologized for crying to which Loki pulled the boy back cupping his face.
"It will always be alright to show your emotions, young one. You may always cry in hard times. You think I was not shedding tears on the battlefield when I saw my favorite Midguardian go down?" He asked as Harley sniffled smiling slightly. "Don't worry, young one, Peter is my third, you're my fourth of course." Loki smiled wrapped an arm around the boy and guided him back to his seat. Harley smacked him in the gut asking him who the hell came above him. Obviously, it was Lila and Shuri at the top.
The blipped seemed uncomfortable and confused at how and why Loki was here. They didn't argue though. The god made Harley smile for real for the first time since he was on the battlefield. Lila of course whispered to everyone who wanted to know, about how and why Loki was here.
That Peter had found the God on his way home from Titan. That Loki had proven himself in so many ways. In both battle and non-battle situations. Trust was mended over the course of the five years. He was an older brother-like figure to the young adults that were left.
"Sam." Lila's voice was quiet and a bit broken but Harley heard it.
He looked over finding two Captain America's and the best friend of them both, a bit more than that to one of course. He stood to which Loki gave him a small comforting pat on the back. Lila moved to hug Sam and Bucky before quietly and quickly introducing herself to Steve who nodded with a small smile.
Harley looked between the two male figures he had begun to look to as fathers. The amount of time he'd spent with them, the talks they'd had, the memories they'd shared. He'd never had a father figure like that since Tony and Tony hadn't been there for that long.
Lila moved Steve away and he understood why going quietly to sit with Tony and Pepper while Lila sat back with her parents.
"He did get you back," Harley whispered out to Bucky who smiled nodding. Harley stepped closer more tears he thought to god he didn't have anymore, he thought his eyes would have run dry by now, guess not.
He inhaled shakingly staying put, frozen in place because of the man before him, the one he thought to be dead. Bucky was dead. Sam came back from... they'd mourned him. His emotions were all over the place, the number of times he'd cried in the last few days, the last few hours even. His head hurt, he was thirsty, he was in so much pain, yet so much relief at seeing Bucky.
The man saw Harley wasn't moving so he moved forward. His flesh hand cup the back of Harley's neck bringing the crying face into his neck. His other arm went around Harley's waist. The young man wrapped his arms around Bucky and gripped the back of his shirt like a lifeline.
"I got you, kid. I have you." Bucky said pressing his cheek to Harley's temple his hand softly cupping the back of his head hand buried in the fluffy hair.
"Thanks, d—Buck." The slip-up was barely audible and Bucky didn't even notice it. He just pulled the kid closer at the whispered comforting words as Sam leaned against Steve's chair.
He turned looking over at Sam who smiled at the young man. Harley reached out for Sam who gathered the younger in his arms pressing his lips to Harley's forehead ever so gently. Bucky's hand landed on the small of Sam's back before he found a seat near Steve, close to Lila as well who got up and hugged the super-soldier again once he'd sat down.
Harley sat between Sam and Bucky who made sure he knew they were there for him. Bucky wrapped an arm around the boy whispering several times that he would be alright. Only him not Peter. He couldn't promise that. He would never lie to Harley.
"Harley." They all looked up to find Shuri standing there looking out of breath.
Most stood and Harley moved for her along with Cassie. Sam, Bucky, and Tony weren't far behind them Loki stayed his distance from Tony when he stepped up close to listen. They were all concerned until Shuri's face broke out into a wide smile.
"He's alright." She let out a breath of relief herself. "He's gonna live." She said her smile faltering her words making some shoot questioning towards her. Sure he would live but what wasn't she telling them?
"What's the damage Shuri?" Harley asked voice on the brink of breaking. She gave him a pained look shoulders falling in defeat.
"The nerve damage to his right arm was unrepairable. The burns were so severe..." She trailed off and Harley just demanded to see him.
Shuri brought them to a large room opening the door to let them inside. Harley stopped just inside the room staring at his love laying on the bed. They made eye contact and Harley took in his fiance's body. One less arm, half his face was burned, yet his smile still sparkled when Harley saw it.
"Harls..." He whispered out and Harley came running to his left side the others entering the room behind him.
"Pete," Tony's voice made him look over and smile as well. His eyes moved across the room at all who entered.
Lila and Shuri, Cassie too, came up beside Harley. MJ, Ned, and May not far behind them pained looks but also some relief at seeing Peter alive. Loki stood at the foot of the bed Vision next to him, Wanda and Thor close to the two. Tony moved to the right side of the bed, Pepper just behind him giving the boy a small smile. Sam and Bucky stood just beside the two.
"Buck, I wasn't," He grunted as he shifted, "wasn't sure if it worked." He smiled to which the soldier softly placed a hand on his knee.
"Could always count on you kid," Bucky said and Peter's smile widened wincing when it reached the burns on his face.
"Of all the reasons I wanted to be like you this was not one of them." Peter lightly smiled this time glancing at his shoulder that was no longer connected to an arm. Bucky turned away with a chuckle while flexing his vibranium arm. "Shuri says she'll make me one." Peter smiled trying not to show his wince with every movement.
"Humour to cope. Classic Parker." MJ said Peter bringing up his fist to which Ned bumped it with a smile.
"Strange said out of all the universes he saw, it wasn't this one. Wasn't you." Tony said to which Peter's smile slowly faded and he looked away.
"I know. It was gonna be one of you." He looked up at the older Avengers in the room. "It was gonna be someone I loved. Maybe someone who could not possibly survive it. Couldn't let that happen. Just like I had to bring Loki back from the ship, just like I had to help Lila and Nathaniel, just like I almost ruined my relationship with Shuri because I made her bring back Vision, just like I risked my life to save you." Peter made eye contact with Bucky who winced.
"Peter—"
"No, you don't get it." His chest hurt thinking about it. "I coulda taken the easy out." That confused them all. "When I snapped he said that I could just take out Thanos' army and I'd be fine, I'd even keep my arm, but instead..." He trailed off and Shuri finished for him. Didn't make anyone feel better.
"Instead you died on the table three times and lost your arm." She said to which Bucky backed up trying to will away the tears as he moved for the door.
"Please, please, don't blame yourself!" Peter yelled out wincing as he sat up in the bed. "I did this to myself. I chose this not you! I had to save you." Bucky had stopped before the door.
He turned around quickly making his way to where he had stood before. The guilt and pain on his face was so visible it made Peter wince when he saw the man before him. He was alive, he'd get over the guilt because there was nothing to be guilty for.
"I knew what I was sacrificing when I jumped off that cliff. I didn't ask you to bring me back. I was fine!" He yelled to which Peter shook his head.
"You were dead!"
"Good!"
The room froze and Bucky looked away from Peter who looked horrified like everyone else. Bucky shrugged off Sam's hand pushing Steve out of the way as he left the room. Sam stopped Steve from going after him and did himself. Steve stared after Sam who went after his best friend. He was supposed to comfort Bucky.
Outside Sam caught up to Bucky who shrugged him off but did stop at least. He sighed leaning up against the wall hand rubbing his forehead. Sam lay his hand on Bucky's chest looking to meet his eyes but wasn't able to.
"Raynor know?" Sam asked softly and Bucky let out another long sigh sagging against the wall. His hand finally dropped and he met Sam's eyes for a second before looking down.
"It's recent. I don't know why I said that I just... felt peaceful and quiet on the other side. Everything happening so fast, the battle, everyone coming back, it's selfish I know the kids need me—" Sam gently grabbed his chin making him look up. Their eyes connected and Sam looked at him sadly.
"I know it hurts. And you're right, there's so much happening right now. It's gonna get worse before it gets better that's how it is. But I've got you." Bucky smiled looking down holding Sam's hands in his.
"I know. I got you too." He said to which Sam smiled and leaned up connecting their lips for a moment. "We don't have to go back in there," Sam whispered against Bucky's lips feeling them stretch and then press against his once more.
"Need to say sorry to Pete."
Sam understood his guilt. His words weren't meant towards Peter. He still didn't understand why he said these things. Maybe his mind crying out for help? Maybe bad humor? It could be many things from a list he couldn't pick from because he honestly did not know. He was learning to speak and explain his feelings to those he loved so they understood how to help him. Dr. Raynor thought he was doing well. That was before this big fight though.
Peter sat there in the hospital bed as everyone seemed to settle further into the room around him. It was silent for a long while before Loki moved to the side of the bed Tony had sat at. He was still there was a bit further back in a small chair. The god gave the boy a smile and lay his hand on the boy's knee crouching down slightly so he wasn't towering over the younger.
"You know Barnes did not mean that toward you." Peter's face didn't look any less guilty. "We know Barnes doesn't have a filter when it comes to those things. It's not your fault." Loki said and Peter looked at him biting his lip the guilt falling a little.
"He's right Peter." Bucky stood there everyone looking at him. Sam was carefully standing behind him slightly so no one saw his hand on the small of the soldiers back. "I'm sorry. I'm okay I promise there's just," he paused taking a deep breath feeling only Sam's hand on his back as he let it ground him, "a lot is happening right now. Everything is changing. It's not you, it would never, could never be you. You'd never be the reason." Bucky said to which Peter gave him a small smile.
"When I get out of here—" Bucky smiled interrupting him.
"You're gonna come stay a few days?" Peter nodded his smile widening slightly. "Good, unless you want us to stay, Sam and I are gonna go," Bucky said to which Peter nodded while Sam stepped up beside Bucky.
"Gonna check on Sarah and the kids. Sleep well, Pete." Sam said making Peter nod and smile.
"We love ya kid," Bucky spoke and Peter's smile was the largest since he'd gotten out of surgery.
"Love you guys too," Peter said and the two looked at Harley who smiled as well.
"Love ya, text me you get home alright?" Harley said to them, Sam winked and smiled as if that was obviously the thing they would do. Which it was.
The little interaction between them was something surprising to watch. Sam and Bucky left the room, ultimately the hospital, and Tony sat there in his chair both confused and happy about it. At least his kid had people. But he'd felt replaced.
"It's been five years, a lot has changed hasn't it?" Tony asked and Peter nodded smiling at the man.
"What do you want to know first?"
—
"So, you and Harley?" Tony asked when he and Peter had a moment alone. Peter blushed looking down at his hand which fidgeted with the blanket
"Mhmm." Tony saw the look on his face and put a hand over Peter's making him look up meeting the older man's eyes.
"I'm not mad. Never, you're a son to me—you are my son if you'll let me call you that?" Peter nodded with a small smile. "Good. And as you're father, I would never hate you or be disappointed in you for loving someone." Tony said sitting back in his chair letting Peter think about that.
"Thanks," He paused biting his lip, "dad." Testing it out on his tongue and he looked up at Tony to find a smile on the older man's face. "Thank you, dad." He repeated and Tony stood leaning over to place a kiss on his sons forehead.
"I play for both teams you know." Tony blurted out after a moment of silence between the two. Peter went wide-eyed.
"Really?"
"Yep, I do love Pepper though—or… your mother?" Tony corrected himself and the warmth spread through Peter's chest. He'd already had that conversation with Pepper a couple years ago after having called her mom too many times for it to be a mistake.
Morgan already called him big brother. She did the same to Harley. Though Harley only ever made jokes about Morgan just skipping the in-law part of that. He'd been making stupid jokes about them being married for the past few months.
The thoughts made him look down at his left hand finding the ring there. The one Harley had offered to him many times over the last six months. A black and red metal band wrapped around his ring finger with the words "forever and beyond" engraved on the inside of them both. He loved that man so much.
—
While Peter had been in the med bay, most of his friends with him, the older adults spoke with one another. Bucky had a chat with Steve after seeing the man look like a sad puppy while also having a weird jealous look on his face.
"You wanna tell me what's up with you?" Bucky asked to which Steve sighed and looked up at his best friend.
"You and Sam..." Bucky nodded waiting for him to continue. "We're still best friends, right? I know five years—" Bucky stopped him with a small smile.
"Yes, you and I are good man." The man still didn't look very convinced.
"It's just you two seem really close. Like at the hospital he—" Steve was cut off when Bucky smirked.
"At the hospital, we made out in the hallway." Bucky's smirk didn't drop but Steve's face drop into one of complete shock and confusion.
"Wh—what?" Steve waited for the punch line but Bucky just looked away having a moment of fear in his face before looking back. Hopefully Steve didn't hate him after this.
"Sam and I are dating, Steve. Got together a year into the blip." Bucky saw the look of shock and confusion lift, there was no look of hate so he continued. "We ground each other. Helped Harley and Peter out, Lila and Shuri too of course—" Steve cut him off this time with a smile.
"But Harley is your kid," Steve said and Bucky scoffed shaking his head.
"No, no he's got a mom, a sister, he's going to see them right now." Steve smiled and nodded understanding that.
"Just because he's got a mom doesn't mean he can't have a couple of dads too. He loves his mom I'm sure, but he loves you as well, you and Sam, I can see it in his face." Steve said while Bucky fidgeted with his hands nervously.
"You're okay with this?" He asked but clarified when he saw Steve's frown. "Me and Sam?" Steve's frown dropped into an unreadable look which soon turned to a smile.
"I'm more than okay with it... Four years?" Bucky smiled and nodded in response. "Four years and you haven't proposed yet?" Steve teased and Bucky punched him in the shoulder as they both chuckled.
—
Lila had a sit down with her parents, Nathaniel sitting next to her. They were back at the farmhouse. Peter had made sure to keep it for them. And by Peter, she means Pepper. So here they were.
Nathaniel and Lila sitting on the couch across from her parents and other brother, who was now younger than her. The two of them had hugged their shocked parents so hard. Now their parents sat looking their two children over as if they were strangers. Lila hated it. Nathaniel did as well.
"Kept the house for you, was getting close to selling it but Peter said wait a little longer. Glad I did." Lila smiled at them tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm gonna guess you'll move back in here, not that anything has changed. Nate, guessing you'll move your stuff back in here with them?" She turned to her brother who frowned.
"But... auntie Pepper is home." That looked like it pained her parents to hear.
"Yeah, you can visit her and Morgan anytime you want. But this is your home. Mom and dad, and Cooper, they're back now, that means you get to live with them." Lila said to which Nathaniel looked up at his mom and dad who gave him weak sad smiles.
"O—okay." He hesitated, she kissed his head understanding he was young and this was probably confusing and painful just as it was for those who were coming back.
Later Lila found herself outside on the phone while Cooper and Nathaniel played inside, her parents made lunch. She stepped out for air and found her phone ringing. She smiled at Pepper's name that came up on her screen. She answered as fast as she possibly could.
"Pep?"
"Hey, sweetheart. Just wanted to check in and see how you and Nate were doing?"
Lila looked back through the window seeing Nathaniel seemingly unbothered already having fun with his older brother again. She turned back looking out onto the large property and breathing deeply tears once again welling up in her eyes.
"Nate seems to be adapting well. It might take a while for him to adjust moving back here and I know you and him got close—" Pepper cut her off with what sounded like a pained tone in her voice.
"Laura and Clint are your parents. I'm so lucky to have taken up that role while they were gone but they're back now." Pepper said to which Lila wiped her tears as they fell sniffling as she did. "Lila, this isn't a goodbye, it's not like I won't see you again. I'll visit all the time, so will you." She reassured and Lila smiled.
"I know, it's just really hard," She didn't hear how her father had come out to call her in for lunch he'd just stopped in the doorway. "like, I love them and I'm so glad they're back. But I've grieved them for years. They were dead. Just like you grieved Tony, I just—" She cut herself off letting a big gush of air out of her lungs then back in and out again trying to calm herself.
"When I saw Tony on that battlefield, hugging Peter, the hole he left in my heart was gone. But I understood that things are different now. The world is changing, having all those people come back so drastically," She paused sighing, "everyone is feeling the way you feel." Pepper said and it was a little bit of a relief but not much.
"Feels like it's the greatest thing in the universe but also like everything could come crashing down because of it. I don't want them to think I've replaced them with you, or Sam, or Bucky." Lila said elbows on the railing one hand holding the phone the other on her forehead.
"Tell them, show them, they'll understand sweetheart," Pepper said which made Lila sigh nodding her head.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks. I should go, tell Morgan I'll come visit with Nathaniel whenever she wants. You can bring her here too, I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind." Lila said to which Pepper smiled on the other end.
"Of course, you're always welcome here," Pepper said to her and she smiled out at the land in front of her.
"Thanks. Talk to you soon." She ended the call after Pepper returned the words. Letting out one last breath she ran a hand through her hair.
"Lunch is ready." She whipped around to find her dad standing in the doorway. She swallowed wondering how much he heard and whether it would be good or bad if he did hear it.
"Uh, how long you been standing there?" She asked watching as her father uncrossed his arms and moved toward her slowly as if not to spook her.
"I know it's no one's fault we've been gone." He paused wincing tilting his head. "Well, Thanos but that's not the point—" She chuckled at that as he leaned against the railing. "Five years? That's a long time especially for a twelve and six-year-old. I completely understand if you thought of someone else as a parental figure." Clint gave his daughter a smile and she bit her lip looking down at her feet.
"Thanks dad. I missed you."
"Love you so much Hawkeye." She let out a small sob into her fathers chest as he held her close.
—
Peter had been resting for a day and a half when Tony emerged from the boys room. He wouldn't have unless Peter told him to, the kid was sleeping anyways. Tony just came out of the shower in the kitchen to get some food when Bucky walked in as well.
It was late at night, midnight actually. Everyone else in the tower was asleep in their respective beds or home away from here. Bucky just woke up in a cold sweat from another nightmare. He didn't wake Sam this time which was good. Sam did instinctively, while half asleep, grabbed Bucky's hand. The soldier smiled whispering that he would be back soon.
Tony and Bucky paused for a moment after seeing each other. Bucky stayed frozen in the entryway into the kitchen while Tony sighed and continued his movement through the kitchen. The last time they saw each other was in Siberia when they beat the shit out of each other.
"Coffee? Food? You just gonna stand there and stare? I know you already got a boyfriend and I don't help out cheaters." Tony said looking Bucky up and down making the soldier snap out of it.
"I'm uh, yeah, water, just taking a breath."
"Nightmares?"
Bucky froze with his empty glass in his hand back to Tony. His face looked pained but the other man couldn't see it. He turned his face dropping into one of no emotion hoping Tony couldn't read past it.
Tony stood drinking coffee and eating some sort of cereal, he looked unphased and calm. Bucky hated it, that this man was so calm while he was having an internal freak out about how to do this.
"I uh, I thought I'd never get to say sorry. But now you're here. So uh, I just—"
"Relax Barnes," Tony said sipping his coffee as Bucky wrung his hands. "We're good. I know they mashed your potato, wasn't your fault." Tony said motioning to Bucky's head then waving him off. He went to leave but Bucky stopped him.
"No, it was. It was me. I did it with my own hands." Bucky said his hands shaking as he brought them in front of him as if to show Stark that these were the hands that killed his parents.
"You might have been in the car but you weren't in the driver's seat," Tony said to which Bucky didn't have an argument for that. A hand landed on his shoulder making him look up at Tony. "You kept my kid alive while I was gone—"
"I tried."
"You took Harley in, the girls as well, you're good. You are good Barnes." Tony said and Bucky gave him a small smile which the other man returned. "Enough of these mushy emotions, go back to your boyfriend." He said then moved down the hall back towards Peter's room.
Bucky smiled after him and took his water back to his room with him. He put the glass on the side table then climbed back into bed. He smiled curling up to Sam and wrapping himself aroudn the other man's back. Sam hummed in content grabbing Bucky's hand and holding it against his chest.
"Love ya, Buck," Sam muttered and Bucky kissed the back of his neck all the way down his shoulder.
"I love you too Sam. So much." That made Sam turn and snuggle into Bucky's chest as the soldier wrapped his arms around the other man.
They were content like that. Laying in each other's arms feeling the warmth of the other mans body against them. It was safe here with the one they loved so.
Of all the bad things that had happened to them both, finding and being with each other was the best thing to happen to them. They kept each other from going over the edge.
—
The kids told them stories over the time Peter spent in the med bay of the tower. It was only actually a day and a half. The first day which he spent telling the stories of the last five years. The next day he spent with Helen Cho who healed his burns the best she could. There was still a bit of scaring, the scars looked like skinny veins going down his face into his shirt.
During the surgery where they amputated his arm, Shuri had made his shoulder able to attach a vibranium arm. Peter smiled when he saw it was pale, pure white, mixed with red, compared to Bucky’s black and gold.
When he tried out the arm on the third day he smiled. The feelings he had during the first two days after it was gone were strange. Painful as well. Shuri told him that when he felt the pain, as if his arm was still there causing him pain, his new arm would send soothing pulses through him.
He tried the limb out, flexing it, reseting it, lifting things, stretching it across his body. It was just as if his regular arm was there. Almost. He showed Bucky later in the kitchen when he found everyone there. The man smiled at him saying he looked good.
Then Harley came in out of the elevator a small girl trailing behind him tears pouring from his eyes. No one noticed the tears but Peter turned to his fiance a smile on his face about to show off his—
"Harley?" Peter's face fell and everyone turned to the boy, his little sister standing by his side clinging to his hand.
"She's gone. My mom, she's dead." Harley cried out and Peter was running to the boy before anyone else could.
Harley broke down in his fiance's arms colapsing to his knees Peter followed him to his knees. Peter looked over at Harley's sister. He smiled sadly hand landing on the girl's shoulder. Tears were still streaming down her face, cheeks red, bottom lip stuck out in a poute.
"Hi, I'm Peter."
"I'm Emma, Harley said you were gonna be my brother too." She said to which Peter smiled wiping the tears away from her cheeks with his thumb.
"Yeah, yeah, I am. Everything's gonna be okay." Peter looked back for someone finding Sam and Bucky moving fast toward them.
"Hey, hey there Emma my name is Bucky, and this is Sam—" Bucky bent down in front of the small girl.
"Harley told me about you too." She said and he smiled. "He said you're gonna be our dads." She said to which the two smiled at the small girl. Bucky held out his hand as Sam bent down next to them.
"Well, Emma, we would be honored if you will have us as your dads," Sam said smiling at Emma who nodded slowly.
"If Harley says you're good enough." She said making them both bring her into a hug.
Sam continued to hold Emma while Bucky moved over to Harley and Peter. He pulled Harley's head from Peter's shoulder and the boy sobbed. Bucky tried his best to wipe the tears but they just kept coming. He held the boy by the back of the held holding him like a child in his lap as Peter moved away slightly. Harley just curled into Bucky sobbing into his chest.
"I'm here. We're here. Always Harls." Bucky muttered kissing the top of his head as Sam reached over, Emma still holding onto him tight, and took Harley's hand in his.
"Thanks, dads."
—